Beijing, 4 Apr (ZXS) -- Chinese officials announced on 1 April that Du Zhaocai, member of the leading party group and deputy director of the State General Administration of Sports, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law and is currently undergoing disciplinary examination and supervision and investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission.
According to the official website of the State General Administration of Sports, Du Zhaocai is responsible for football-related work, docking with FIFA, AFC, the Inter-ministerial Joint Conference on Football Reform and Development of the State Council, etc., responsible for the training, participation and bidding and preparation of national teams at all levels of football, as well as the bidding and preparation of various events held in China, as well as youth football work.
According to public information, Du Zhaocai, born in March 1960, is a member of the Communist Party of China and a master's degree from Illian University of Technology. Du Zhaocai was a professional ice hockey player, and after graduating from Shenyang Sports Institute, he served as a cadre and coach of the Liaoning Provincial Sports Committee.
In January 2009, Du Zhaocai became the director of the Athletics Management Center of the General Administration of Sports. From June 1 to October 2017, Du Zhaocai served as the assistant director of the General Administration of Sports, vice chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee, and secretary of the Party Committee of the Chinese Football Association. He was promoted to Deputy Director General of the State General Administration of Sports in October 6. Since August 2018, Du Zhaocai has also served as the vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association.
In addition, Du Zhaocai also serves as a member of the FIFA Council, the chairman of the AFC Referee Committee, the executive chairman of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup China Organizing Committee, and the chairman of the East Asian Football Federation.
It is worth noting that at the meeting of all cadres held by the Chinese Football Association in March this year, Du Zhaocai stressed that "in the face of the current outstanding problems in the football industry, we must have the courage to face the problems head-on".
Just a few days before he was investigated, on March 3, the first round of inspections of the 27th Central Committee announced that a mobile inspection of the party group of the State General Administration of Sports would be carried out. According to official disclosures, the mobile inspection of the State General Administration of Sports should "deeply find and promote the solution of corruption and deep-seated institutional mechanisms in the sports field, especially in football, so as to provide a strong guarantee for building a strong sports country."
Recently, anti-corruption work in China's football field has continued to be carried out. Since November 2022, a number of former and current senior officials of the Chinese Football Association have been under investigation. (End)